Building a Vessel

Posted on March 22, 2018 by ClintBarger

In my previous blog, I likened my present career to having been marooned and looked upon Linux Academy as the beacon that would guide me to a new shore. Since that time, akin to Robinson Crusoe, I began diligently working day-by-day on my “vessel” by studying for a Linux Essentials Certification. Much like building a raft, Linux Academy’s servers allowed me to repeatedly test the waters with my new skills, perfecting them until I could finally stay afloat. Through their detailed, informative video training and labs, Linux Academy provided me with the resources and tools that were necessary to accomplish such a task. The framework is complete, as I recently passed the exam!
I now have a kit filled with a variety of useful command line tools, such as package management, navigation through the hierarchy of directories, grepping, globbing, using the man pages, file manipulation, user permissions, and scripting within the vi text editor. I even installed Virtual Box on my desktop to simulate various GUI distributions, such as Centos and Ubuntu. I was also delighted to find out that I had already been using other Linux based programs for several years, such as Audacity and Gimp! At this point, I have become a huge fan of open source philosophy and the Linux operating system.
While my vessel’s shell (no pun intended!) is now sturdy, I realize that I must continue to enhance it with a rudder and sail. To that end, I have begun studying for the LPIC-1 Exam. I have also developed a hankering for a slice of Raspberry Pi, which I imagine will help me apply my skills at home. When I told my two young daughters I’d be buying some “raspberry pie” soon; they were a little disappointed to hear that it was not edible. They cheered up dramatically, however, when I told them it would come with one of their favorite games, Minecraft! As I imagine what the future holds, I am coming to realize that proficiency with the Linux operating system is not only a means to find a 21 st Century career. It will, likewise, become a hobby that I can share with my children and provide them with programming skills that will serve them well as they progress through school and eventually enter the career world themselves.
Please stay tuned, as I am sure I will return with tales of adventure and survival upon the high seas of the Linux operating system!